The streets have been packed. Jostling shouting pilgrims herding, dragging, carrying bleating lambs – pushing their way to the temple which yesterday was place of noise, commotion, blood and mess. The priests’ work seemingly never ending as they grasped the lambs they were handed – slit the throats and sprinkled the blood on the altar.

For this week the people celebrate the most important festival of the year. The feast of Passover when Jewish families up and down the land will sacrifice a lamb and sit down together for a meal and remember how centuries ago God rescued them from the Egyptians.

Remember how they had been slaves – forced to make bricks – and to gather their own raw materials – forced to make bricks without being given the straw to put in them. Backbreaking slave labour – and they had cried out to God in their misery. And He had come to the rescue. "I have seen the misery of my people” He said to Moses, “I have heard them crying … so I have come down to rescue them. With a mighty hand and an outstretched arm I will redeem you.”¹

And rescue them He had. And in these days of jostling crowds and bleating lambs and commotion and mess - they celebrate that rescue. Eating again the Passover and recalling how centuries ago on the night of their escape they had sacrificed a lamb and painted its blood on the wooden beams before eating the hurried meal; recalling how a plague had swept the land but passed over all the houses where lamb’s blood had been painted; recalling how Pharoah had finally let God’s people go free. God had seen their misery, heard their cries and come down with a mighty hand and outstretched arm to lead them into freedom.

So Jerusalem is packed. The streets are full of jostling shouting Passover pilgrims. At the centre the chaos and excitement at the temple – but off to one side beyond the city walls a cruel and appalling spectacle is taking place. On a barren God-forsaken hill - called ‘Place of the Skull’ because of the shape of its rocky outcrops - stands a crowd – a crowd watching the execution of three men. Roman soldiers are stripping the third man of His clothes and holding down His outstretched arms they hammer nails through His wrists and ankles before hoisting Him on a beam of wood to hang between the other two.

Hear the screams that split the air; hear the jeers and the laughter and the weeping. Watch as mocking soldiers offer this thirsting man soured wine; watch as they squabble for His clothes – the spoils of execution. See the passers-by hurl abuse.

Who is He who hangs there – a barbed thorny crown pushed hard down over His head? Above His bloodied face they have fixed a sign, ‘This is the King of the Jews’. But few in this baying crowd want Him for a King. “All these powers He was supposed to have where are they now?” They say. “He was supposed to have healed people but He can’t even heal Himself. Look at Him there bleeding. Some King. Some Messiah. Whoever heard of an executed saviour – a crucified Messiah? If God was with Him He’d come right down off that cross.”

"I have seen the misery of My people … I have heard them crying … so I have come down to rescue them. With mighty outstretched arms I will redeem you.”

"I have seen the misery of My people … I have heard them crying…’

I wonder where you are this Good Friday. What is your misery? What causes you to cry? I wonder where you are standing this Good Friday?

Maybe you’re with Peter. He’s not standing at the cross this Good Friday. “The cock crowed a second time and Peter remembered the words Jesus had spoken to him. And he broke down and wept.”

No - Peter is not standing at the cross this Good Friday. He is torn apart by guilt. He has denied and deserted his Lord. So he hides alone. Broken and weeping. Unable to put right what he has done.

Are you with Peter this Good Friday?

If you’re honest you feel you’ve failed God and you’re carrying a weight of guilt. Unable to face your Lord you hide your face and feel alone. You can’t simply by yourself put it right. You don’t have the resources.

The Israelites couldn’t make bricks without straw – and in their slavery and misery they cried out to God and with a mighty outstretched arm He came to rescue them and give them freedom.

I wonder where you are this Good Friday. What causes you to cry?

‘The people stood watching and the rulers even sneered at Him, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Messiah from God, the chosen one.” ’

Deep down of course they did long for God’s chosen one to come. Deep down they did want the Messiah to come – they did want a Saviour - but just not looking like this one. For hundreds of years they had been governed and ruled over by cruel foreign powers. For hundreds of years they had longed for God to break into their world and bring them justice and freedom. And now they are disillusioned. Hardened to the idea that He might ever turn up. So when a carpenter turns up towing a motley band of fishermen tax collectors and prostitutes in His wake claiming to be God’s Messiah – His chosen saviour – well the idea is simply insulting. Laughable. Especially now – as He hangs there with pierced hands, outstretched arms and barbed crown. Who ever heard of a crucified saviour? And realising the hopelessness of their ridiculous dreams they hurl the pent up disappointment and bitterness of years at this man on the cross. ‘They sneer at Him, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Messiah from God, the chosen one.”

I wonder where you are this Good Friday. What is your misery? What causes you to cry?

Do you - deep down - stand with the disillusioned mockers? Oh you put a bright face towards the world – but actually inside you’re pretty disappointed. Justice, fairness – well you haven’t seen much of those in recent years. In fact you’ve long been waiting for God to turn up; to break in bringing a bit of justice and freedom. But it’s been a long wait – and to be honest you’re actually quite hardened to the idea that He ever will. Disappointment; hopelessness; bitterness; scorn.

Do you stand with the disillusioned mockers this Good Friday?

You’re trapped and you just don’t have the resources within yourself to make it right.

You can’t make bricks without straw. The Israelites cried out to God in their misery and with a mighty outstretched arm He came to rescue them.

Where do you stand this Good Friday?

‘Women followed who mourned and wailed… They stood watching these things. [Near the cross stood His mother.]' ²

Are you with Mary today?

She stands at the cross and her heart is breaking with pain. She is losing the one she loves. Broken and weeping she can do nothing to make it right. She can only stand and watch as He is taken from her. And it is a task too hard to bear.

This Good Friday are you with Mary? You have known a loss in your life and sometimes your heart still breaks with pain. And nothing you can do can make it right again - except cry out to God in your sadness.

‘I have seen the misery of My people’ says God ‘I have heard them crying’.

Peter weeping bitterly for guilt.

The disillusioned mocking crowd who’ve given up on a saviour.

Mary heart-broken at the cross.

Where do you stand today? What makes you cry out to God?

Guilt? Someone or something you can’t forgive? Bitterness and disappointment? Something that has made you angry? Loneliness? Pain? Grief? Loss?

And what does this cross – this message of a crucified Saviour - have to say to us in our misery?

First: God hears.

‘I have seen the misery of My people.’ God says ‘I have heard them crying.’

God knows your sadness. He knows your misery and He has heard your crying. ‘God is close to those whose hearts are breaking,’ says Psalm 34, ‘He saves those who are crushed in spirit.’

Peter weeps bitterly at his own failure – but a day will come when a risen Jesus will walk with Him by the sea of Galilee offering forgiveness and a new start. God hears.

Today Mary’s heart breaks – but a day is coming when her grief will be transformed to joy. God hears.

The disillusioned crowd cannot see a saviour – but He is there to be found even in the midst of what seems to be only weakness and defeat. ‘Remember me when you come into your Kingdom’ says the man crucified beside Him. ‘Today you will be with Me in paradise’ says Jesus. God hears.

What is the message of the cross?

God hears your cries.

But He doesn’t just hear our cries. He does more. ‘I have heard their crying’ says God, ‘And I have come down to rescue them.’

In Jesus God comes to us. He enters into our experience. He doesn’t just hear our crying. He shares our crying. Pain. Loneliness. Betrayal. Disappointment. Abandonment. We worship a God who knows our very bleakest places – for He has been to them and far beyond. ‘Surely’ writes Isaiah, ‘He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows.’

‘I have heard their crying’ says God, ‘And I have come down to rescue them.’

God hears.

In Jesus God comes to us.

And on the cross He rescues us.

‘He was pierced for our transgressions’ says Isaiah, ‘crushed for our iniquities; and the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed.’

It’s alright to cry out to God. He’s close to those who cry out. To stand at the cross and cry out – to cry out feelings of guilt and failure; of disillusion and disappointment; anger; grief; loss.

The cross is a good place to bring those feelings and cry them out to God. For on the cross there are mighty outstretched arms that are ready to receive our tears and rage and sadness and failure.

Sorrow and tears for wrongdoing. Take them to the cross. God can use them to bring transformation. ‘He was pierced for our transgressions.’

Tears of rage and disappointment. Take them to the cross. God can use them to bring new hope. ‘The punishment that brought us peace was on Him.’

Tears of grief and sadness. Take them to the cross. God can use them to bring new life. ‘By His wounds’ says Isaiah ‘we are healed.’

God hears us; He comes to us and on the cross He rescues us

‘I have seen the misery of my people’ says God ‘I have heard them crying … and I have come to rescue them. With pierced hands and mighty outstretched arms I will redeem you’

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1 Exodus 3:7; 6:6; Deuteronomy 5:15

2 John 19:25